Azazel

Azazel [so Milton] (Hebrews Azazel', עֲזָאזֵל), a word of doubtful interpretation, occurring only in the ordinance of the festival of expiation (Le 16:8,10,26).

1. Some contend that it is the name itself of the goat sent into the desert. So Symmachus τράγος ἀπερχόμενος Aquila τράγος ἀπολελυμένος, Vulgate hircus emissarius; but not the Septuagint (for τῷ Α᾿ποπομπαίῳ in ver. 8, is by no means to be explained, with Theodoret and Cyril, by τῷ ἀποπεμπομένῳ, nor the Mishna (for the expression שֵׂעִיר הִשּׁתִּלֵּחִ, hircus emissus, of Yoma, 4, 2; 6:1, 2, is only added as a gloss on account of the occurrence of שִׁלִּח in the Hebrews text). It should also be observed that in the latter clause of Le 16:10, the Sept. renders the Hebrew term as if it was an abstract noun, translating לִעֲזָאזֵל by εἰς τὴν ἀποπομπήν. Buxtorf (Heb. Lex.) and Fagius (Critici Sacri in loc.), in accordance with this view of its meaning, derived the word from עֵז, a goat, and אָזִל, to depart. To this derivation it has been objected by Bochart, Winer, and others, that עֵז denotes a she-goat. It is, however, alleged that the word appears to be epicene in Ge 30:33; Le 3:12, etc.